Info-Sheet for Knysna accommodation at Zauberberg Cottages

Relaxation for body and soul

Angela’s Yoga – I am a certified yoga instructor (EFYTA) and give individually tailored courses in the Hatha Yoga stile, as well as meditation exercises for groups of up to ten participants.Eve Cunard offers yoga after the method of Vanda Scaravelli, retreats and Thai massages – and she is also hooked on surfing! Kheli Pama’s roots are in Holland. She has been practicing in Knysna for over 13 years and her approach to massage is based on the principle of reconnecting body and soul through massage. At the Knysna Wellness Center you will find a variety of alternative wellness offers. And if in addition to changing the inside of your head you also want to have something done to the outside, then Nicci Philips’ Salon is the hairdresser of choice.

Some restaurants in Knysna

There are plenty of restaurants in Knysna – so we’re only listing some of our personal favorites:

Isle de Pain: the bakery of Markus and Lizzy certainly offers the best croissants south of the equator! Also a good spot for breakfast and light lunches.

After hiking in the Homtini Forest, drop in at the historic Millwood Tea Garden for scons and muffins.

The Firefly: the ambience is as excentric as the food – a must for lovers of exotic, spicy dishes!

Caffe Mario: the smallest restaurant on the Knysna waterfront, and often the busiest. Try Mario’s pizza and you will understand why.

Die Watermeul – if you’re as desperate for a winter’s night candle light dinner in the middle of nowhere as we tend to get then you should consider negotiating the Sir Alfred’s Pass to Uniondale – what’s a 180 km drive for a decent romantic meal anyway? Set in a historic monument in Uniondale the mill incorporates a little gallery. And on your way back across the pass you might even meet the famous Uniondale ghost…

For less adventureous evenings try The Orchid Room, the restaurant at Simola Golf Club. The Sushi is always freshly prepaired and yummy!

Alternative accommodation options in Knysna

There are over 300 guesthouses in Knysna – but if you’re trying to find something similar to what we offer then these two run by friends of ours might be the right choice for you:

Other Interesting Destinations

Art and photography

Knysna is home to many local artists and there are too many galleries to list them all. These are two which we find particularly worth visiting:

Knysna Fine Arts – regularly changing exhibitions of local and international artists and affiliated to the famous Everard Read Gallery of Johannesburg.

Ian Fleming Photography – Ian’s pictures of the Gardenroute feature on many brochures, magazines and web sites. But he also does very interesting social reporting with his camera – as demonstrated by “The Ball and the Pen”, his reportage project for the 2010 championship.

Outdoor-activities in and around Knysna

Knysna Cycle Works – Knysna’s specialists for mountain biking describe some of the best routes to try out. You can also hire bikes from them (but which serious mountain biker would do that …).

Spring Tide Charters – a beautiful owner built sailing yacht. Skipper Stefan will take you safely through the Knysna Heads and spoil you with champagne and oysters on return.

Ocean Safaris – offers professionally run whale watching tours as well as other outdoor activities.

Knysna Elephant Park – in addition to a close encounter with tame elephants you can also learn a lot about this mystical animal so important to Knysna’s history.

Monkeyland – a unique primate park with very knowledgeable guides who will make you look at monkeys with different eyes.

Featherbed – a traditional must for Knysna visitors. The ferry takes you across the lagoon to a private nature reserve on the western Head.

Experience a Knysna township

EMZINI TOWNSHIP TOUR is an experience rather than a tour. The Knysna township is friendly, fun and safe. Emzini means “at home” in Xhosa – so let Penny and Ella take you to see a home in the township where you can meet the family, learn some Xhosa, listen to some drumming and singing and even learn a bit of drumming yourself!

Through this township tour you will support the community in one of 5 projects that are run through the tour – a Safe House for abused children, a Soup Kitchen, and Education Project, an Animal Welfare Project and a Skills Development Centre.

National and Cape Nature Conservation parks

Two bodies administer the nature resorts and parls in the province, namely SA National Parks and Cape Nature Conservation:

Just 12km outside Knysna you will find Goukamma Nature Reserve, a Cape Nature Conservation run dune park where you can enjoy long walks across the magnificent dunes and along the beach, as well as canoe trips on the river.

Consult SA National Parks for bookings in any of the national parks, including the Tsitsikamma Park in Storms River, some 90 km to the east of Knysna.